Kingston, Ont. police say 18-year-old arrested after driver nearly strikes pedestrians at pro-Israel rally

Kingston Police headquarters in Kingston, Ont.

Kingston police say an 18-year-old man is facing charges following an alleged hate-motivated incident last week at a pro-Israel rally in the city.

Around 100 people gathered at Market Square on Oct. 17 for a pro-Israel demonstration, police said, when the driver of a black pickup truck nearly struck participants who were crossing a nearby street.

According to police, the truck was stopped for a red light at the intersection of Brock Street and King Street at around 5:10 p.m., but when the traffic light turned green, the truck did not proceed into the intersection. Instead, police said, the driver suddenly accelerated and turned into the crosswalk, cutting off the rally participants as they crossed the street.

"The actions of the truck caused the pedestrians to fear they would be struck. They abruptly stopped and jumped back to avoid the speeding truck," Kingston police said in a news release.

The driver was arrested and is facing a charge of dangerous driving. Kingston police also said it is believed the driver's actions were motivated by hate.

Police did not identify the accused in a news release sent Friday night.

Kingston police said investigators are aware of "a male individual who was also affected by the driver's actions." Police are asking that this individual contact Sgt. Nesanayagam at [e-mail].